NYC moving tips - Week by week moving timeline

NYC moving tips - Week by week moving timeline

If you are planning a residential move any time soon, you are probably aware that it will take much time, effort, and energy. How you will organize the time leading up to moving day will mostly determine the entire course of the move. No matter how intense and challenging your moving project is, a week-by-week moving timeline will undoubtedly make it more manageable.

a man standing by a week-by-week moving timeline
Customize your week-by-week moving timeline

Breaking down a notorious, time-consuming process into smaller tasks has proven to be beneficial for the success of the move. A proper strategy in place may help you go about each moving task thoroughly without losing your mind. It takes a lot of patience and consistency to see through a long-distance household move, even if you have the best of movers by your side. With a specific list of tasks to focus on and enough time left to do them right, you can gain a sense of control over your moving duties and responsibilities.

No two residential moves are the same, but there are specific steps one should take to obtain desired results. Every hour before moving day counts, so use all your time-management skills to plan everything out. It all comes down to a good organization, so you’d better start as early as possible.

A thorough checklist will keep you on the right track in spite of numerous potential difficulties and save a lot of time in the long run. Ideally, you will start two months ahead and act according to a customized week-by-week moving timeline. Its primary purpose is to remind you of the upcoming tasks.

How does a personalized week-by-week moving timeline work?

checklist and yellow pencil
Stick to a detailed to-do list to ensure a successful move

People who have gone through the household move recently would most definitely tell you that without an exhaustive moving checklist, a move could end up as a complete disaster. Unfortunately, some of them have learned the hard way. Regardless of your self-confidence level, things may smoothly go out of control. Unexpected situations may arise and turn your imaginary plan upside down.

So, instead of relying solely on your memorization skills, try to put together an actual to-do list. A week-by-week moving timeline should help you figure out what you should be doing at any given moment throughout the move. With some guidance, your moving project could be a smooth one. Although moves are notorious for being stressful and overwhelming, you can still turn it into a smooth experience. To be able to do that, make the most of your to-do list by sticking closely to it.

8 weeks before moving day

– Before you start packing, get rid of all old, unused items you won’t be moving to a new place. Purge your attic, basement, garage, and other often-neglected areas that tend to accumulate excess items.

– Research moving companies and storage units NYC you are interested in and contact them for further information. Request an estimate of moving costs. After that, compare different offers and choose one that meets your standards. When researching NYC moving companies reviews can be very helpful.

– Figure out your moving budget. Depending on the season of the move, you may be able to score some outstanding deals. When moving on a tight budget, consider some cheaper options, like moving in the middle of the month or week.

7 weeks prior to moving day

– Start dealing with the moving paperwork. Have you and your family’s school and medical records transferred to the new area? Keep your personal documents always handy when packing. Remember that you should move them with you.

– Deal with the items your movers won’t transport in the moving truck. Ideally, you will dispose of them for safety reasons and remove this task from your week-by-week moving timeline.

– Prepare your children for moving and allow them enough time to say goodbye to friends and family and to process the idea of relocating to a new place.

– Check with IRS if there are some tax-deductible moving expenses.

– Start thinking about packing and collecting packing supplies. If you decide to go for the full-service movers, you can be sure that the most daunting of tasks will be taken care of in a professional manner.

6 weeks before the move

cardboard boxes
Stock up on a lot of quality packing supplies

– Not all the items you own need to be transferred to your new place. Sort your possessions and decide what you need. If there are items you haven’t been using for a while, leave them behind. Don’t move them to the new house. Get rid of all unused or unwanted items by organizing a garage sale, donating, or giving them away.

– The number of your possessions will determine the amount of packing material you need for the move. So, make sure to collect enough moving boxes, bubble wrap, markers to secure your items for the move.

5 weeks ahead

– Make a floor plan of your new home and plan the position of the furniture and appliances. Check if your old furnishing fits into your new place. Contact furniture disposal NYC services to dispose of old and bulky pieces that don’t belong to your new home.

– Take measures of the furniture, doors, hallways, and walls in your new house.

– Start informing your neighbors, relatives, colleagues about the move. Breaking the news won’t be easy, but make sure to say your goodbyes before the move takes place.

– If you are moving with a pet, make travel arrangements and visit a vet. Request copies of vet records and get prescriptions for a specific medication.

– Inform your landlord that you are leaving soon. Find out if you qualify for getting your security deposit back. Make sure to clean the entire property inside and out and to leave it in pristine condition.

4 weeks ahead

– Check with your moving company if you need to purchase additional moving insurance. Make safety your top priority when moving.

– Pack up the items you have to carry with you – money, jewelry, documents, safe deposit contents, personal electronics such as cell phones, tablets, laptops.

–If you have some weekly or monthly subscriptions, make sure to notify all third-party service providers about the new address.

– After you have collected moving supplies, start packing the rarely used items, out-of-season clothes, and other non-essentials. To make unpacking much easier, label the boxes properly with the content and destination room.

– Get in touch with your movers’ representative to confirm the moving day timeline.

3 weeks before you move

– Have services like internet, cable, telephone disconnected at your current place, and set up in your new home. The same goes for electricity, gas, water, and other utilities.

– If you have some additional travel arrangements, confirm them once again, to be on the safe side – flight tickets, hotel reservations,…

– Make a moving plan for your plants. Probably you will have to take care of transporting the plants since your movers usually won’t do that. A DIY approach is applicable only if you are moving locally.

2 weeks ahead

– Get professional cleaning services if you cannot deep clean the entire home before moving day. Both places will need some serious deep cleaning.

– Close or transfer your bank account.

– Keep all your important documents in one safe place, available at any moment.

– Try to stick to your children’s regular schedule in spite of the moving rush. Come moving day, they may become rather nervous and upset.

– If you have a lot of frozen food, use it up or donate it to local charities. Remember that your movers will refuse to move perishables.

– Inspect your new city/area. Find out where the most important institutions and amenities are. It would be convenient to know if there are grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and schools nearby.

– If you need additional help on moving day, ask friends or relatives to give you a hand. Gather as many volunteers as possible, as there will be a lot of heavy lifting and hauling.

– Check off already completed tasks off your week-by-week moving timeline.

1 week left until moving day

a girl holding an idea-plan-action message
Make the most of the time leading up to moving day

– Have your car serviced and prepared for the move.

– Finish packing. If some specialty items need to be professionally packed, leave them in a designated area until movers arrive.

– Return items you have borrowed from your friends, local library…

– Clean all appliances inside out. Unplug them and secure power cords and other loose elements.

– Pack an overnight bag with the essentials you may need during the next few days and while on the road.

– Make sure to have enough cash to pay and tip the movers. If you are pleased with their performance, it’s only normal to reward them accordingly.

– Ask your neighbor or relative to look after your kids and pets on moving day. It’s not safe for them to walk around the house while the movers are hauling heavy items.

– Prepare snacks and drinks for the moving day. Aside from tipping, it’s customary to offer snacks, hot and cold drinks, and even lunch to your movers and helpers. They are working very hard to help you and meet your requirements, so the least you can to thank them is to prepare some food and drinks.

The primary purpose of having a week-by-week moving timeline is to make the most of the time leading up to moving day. Hopefully, our suggestions will guide will shed some light on the complicated moving process and make it a bit easier for you.

Planning a move?

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